Oelando sowees



(No Model.)

0. SOWERS.

BUNG.

No. 366,434. Patented July 12, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORLANDO SOWERS, OF SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA.

BUNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,434, dated July 12, 1887.

Application filed April 5, 1887.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ORLANDO SowERs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Rosa, in the county of Sonoma and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bungs, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in bungs, the object being to prevent lately made and barreled wine from souring and spoiling or becoming moldy; and it consists in the arrangement and combination of a wooden plug with certain other parts, as hereinafter described, illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bung detached. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the bung-hole bushing. cap and ring-washer thereon. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section of the bung in place on the barrel-head. Fig. 5 is a side view of the wooden plug detached.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the head of a barrel having the bunghole a provided with the internal circumferential shoulder, a; and B is a metal bushing internally and externally threaded and screwing into the outer portion of the bung-hole up to the shoulder a, the outer end of the bush ing being flush with the outer surface of the head.

O is a metal cap, having the outer plate portion, 0, and the interior socket portion, 0. threaded both on its interior and exterior. The threaded socket 0 thus formed tapers or converges slightly inward. The plate portion 0 of the cap has formed centrally upon its outer surface the rectangular boss 0", for the attachment of a wrench, and around its rim is an outstanding flange, 0", equal in height to said boss, to protect the latter from becoming rounded on the edges from wear and careless usage, and also to strengthen the plate portion of the cap.

D is a wooden plug tapering from a point, (1, between a third and fourth part of its length from its outer end toward both ends, and rounded at said point, which'is of proper diameter to fit tightly on the part (2 of the bunghole inside of its shoulder a.

The part d of the plug outward. from the point d is screwed tightly into the correspondinglytapered socket 0 Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the screw- Serial No. 333,765. (No model.)

To apply the bung to the barrel, the plug is driven into the part a of the bunghole, and the cap is then screwed into the bushing by means of a wrench, a rubber or leather ringwasher, E, being placed over the socket portion 0 of the cap between the plate portion 0 and the outer end of the bushing, forcing the plug 1) down into the part d of the bung-hole until the flange of the cap, the washer, and the bushing are compressed to effect a tight joint.

When in position, the part of the plug inward from the point (1 is in the wine in the barrel, and the wine can at no point come into contact with metal, as the plug completely closes the part (1 of the bung-hole.

The presence of the wood in the new wine is necessary to prevent the latter from souring or molding.

The device as described is simple, durable, and effective, and can be cheaply made.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. The combination, with the barrel-head having a bung hole provided with the tapering part d and a bushing screwed thereinto, the outer end of the bushing being flush with the surface of the barrel-head, of the plug projected through the part (1 of the bung-hole and having a tapered outer end, and the cap having a tapered socket to receive the end of the plug, and a rectangular boss on its outer surface, the said cap being screwed into the bushing, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the barrel'hcad provided with the bung-hole at, having the circumferential shoulder a, and the externally and internally threaded bushing B, screwing into the bung-hole down to said shoulder, of the cap 0, having the outer plate portion, 0, provided with the squared boss 0 and the flange c, and the externally and internally threaded socket portion 0, having the tapered socket c", and the wooden plug tapered at both ends from the points (I and screwed into the socket, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ORLANDO SOWERS.

Witnesses:

J. 0. Forums, F. G. NAGLE. 

